MLB Player News

Hoerner was scratched from the Cubs' Cactus League lineup Thursday due to left biceps tightness, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

It's being labeled as a preventative measure for Hoerner, though there has to be at least some level of concern given that Opening Day is only one week away. Miles Mastrobuoni will cover second base against the Diamondbacks.

The Dodgers optioned Hernandez to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Wednesday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Hernandez logged a brief period of time in the majors with Arizona last season, but he spent most of the year at Triple-A Albuquerque and posted a .241/.349/.324 slash line across 298 plate appearances. Hernandez has had a very strong spring, going 8-for-30 at the plate with two RBI and three stolen bases, but he will need to show more at the highest level of the minors before he can contribute to the big-league club.

Donovan will spent time in the leadoff spot for the Cardinals this season, John Denton of MLB.com reports.

Manager Oliver Marmol on Wednesday wouldn't commit to any lineup spots beyond Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado and Willson Contreras as his 3-4-5 hitters, but it's expected that Donovan, Lars Nootbaar and Tommy Edman will get looks at the top of the order. It could be Donovan and Nootbaar in the top two spots against right-handers, although Tyler O'Neill also seems to be in the mix for the No. 2 spot. Donovan's on-base skills make him a natural fit at leadoff, and he's shown more pop this spring after re-tooling his stance.

Urias hit a three-run homer during Monday's 6-5 loss for Team Mexico to Team Japan in the semifinals of the World Baseball Classic.

Urias swatted the homer with two runners aboard off an otherwise impressive Roki Sasaki to give Mexico a 3-0 lead in the fourth. The infielder played well in the tournament with a .278/.381/.444 slash with a homer and four RBI. With Mexico now eliminated, he'll head back to Arizona. He's expected to be a regular for the Brewers during the 2023 campaign.

Donovan is hitting .325 (13-for-40) with a team-leading four home runs over 14 Grapefruit League games.

Donovan's value to the Cardinals comes as a utility man, but his spring play should serve to get him an everyday role in the lineup to begin the season. He's the projected starter at second base, especially with Tommy Edman needed at shortstop to cover for the injured Paul DeJong (back). Donovan hit well as a rookie last year, slashing .281/.394/.379 with five home runs, 45 RBI, 64 runs scored and two stolen bases over 126 contests. With his versatility, he should remain in the mix for a starting role even if his hitting drops a bit.

Marte went 1-for-4 with a double in Sunday's spring game against Kansas City.

This was Marte's first game since returning from the World Baseball Classic, where he played for Team Dominican Republic. He had a couple of hard-hit balls, including the double and a 105.8 mph lineout to center field, per Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. Marte had been slumping prior to playing in the WBC, so perhaps the hard-hit balls are a sign his swing has come around.

Gonzales was reassigned to minor-league camp Sunday, Rob Biertempfel of The Athletic reports.

Gonzales is one of the Pirates' top prospects and had a strong showing in big-league camp with a 1.004 OPS in 16 contests. He spent most of 2022 at Double-A Altoona and had a .263/.383/.429 slash line, so he should move up to Triple-A Indianapolis this year.

Motter is a candidate to make the Opening Day roster for the Cardinals, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

Motter was signed to a minor-league contract in November, and the 33-year-old has impressed in the Grapefruit League with an .810 OPS, three homers and a pair of steals over 17 games. He's also capable of playing in the infield and outfield, so he brings versatility at the end of the St. Louis bench if he does make the roster. Motter will need to be added to the 40-man roster in order to be called up to the Cardinals, but he has at least earned a look from his play in Florida.

Vargas has gone 7-for-16 with a home run and three doubles since the Dodgers allowed him to start swinging in games following a finger injury.

Vargas' spring slash line of .292/.452/.542 looks pretty good on the surface, but it's even better when taking into account the fact that he began the Cactus League schedule with orders from the team to not swing the bat. The rookie consequently racked up eight strikeouts (in eight at-bats) while simply tracking pitches before the restriction was lifted, and he's since shown no ill effects from the hairline fracture of his right pinky finger that he suffered early in camp. Vargas has also made some nice defensive plays at second base, where he's slated to log most of his time in a starting role this season.

McNeil has gone just 1-for-8 in three games for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic.

McNeil has struggled so far in the WBC, and he also was off to a slow start in the Grapefruit League with a .235/.278/.235 slash with zero extra-base hits in Florida. The hits aren't falling yet for the 30-year-old infielder, but after leading all of baseball with a .326 average last year and a career mark of .307, it's hard to believe McNeil won't be a contributor in that category again in 2023.